Review: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams

What if you almost missed the love of your life?

Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.

Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.

One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:

"To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?"

So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.

I've always had a kind of fascination with the 'Rush Hour Crush' section of a certain free daily newspaper, and often wonder whether anything comes of those messages which are lucky enough to receive a reply. This idea forms the basis for Our Stop. Daniel has admired Nadia from afar for a while, until he finally plucks up the courage to do something about it. Nadia has no idea who her secret admirer is, but she is a hopeless romantic who can't help but think that maybe 'Train Guy' is the one. So she writes back. And so begins a super-slow-burn romance that kept me gripped.

Our Stop has to be one of the most addictive novels I've ever read. It's a proper will-they-won't-they as you're kept guessing for a good portion of the book whether Nadia and Daniel will actually ever even meet, let alone get together. There's so many almost meetings and twists of fate that I felt Daniel's frustration at the situation, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next. Both Daniel and Nadia are characters that are instantly likeable and easy to root for, and I really liked the dual narrative perspective.

Another thing I liked about this novel is that it's reflective of real life. There's a whole network of supporting characters  - family, friends, colleagues - who all have lives and dramas of their own. But of course the heart of the story is Daniel and Nadia's relationship, and despite all the obstacles in their way you get the feeling they are meant to be. Real life is far from picture perfect, and things rarely work out the way you plan them, but just occasionally, if you're lucky, fate has your back.

Quirky, cute, warm and witty, Our Stop is the perfect summer read!

**Thanks to Readers First for the review copy of this book!**